


Tarda Reverti

by Yunica



Series: Pueritia Amicus [8]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Childhood Friends, Hurt Comfort Hurt, Misunderstandings, Plans, Scars, Stubbornnnn, Thanks Hubert, You were supposed to be the wingman..., doubts, is this angst?, reunited
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-29
Updated: 2020-01-29
Packaged: 2021-02-27 18:16:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,948
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22467736
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yunica/pseuds/Yunica
Summary: Byleth and Edelgard are reunited, but there are still uncertainties stemming into misunderstandings.
Relationships: Edelgard von Hresvelg & My Unit | Byleth
Series: Pueritia Amicus [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1586014
Comments: 11
Kudos: 66





	Tarda Reverti

**Author's Note:**

> Not particularly happy with this one but just want to get it out of the way.

Byleth stares at the wall uninterestedly. Arundel had instructed her to wait in this room before slithering away. He returns just as Byleth is about to leave, thinking he was wasting her time, and the person entering the room behind him freezes her in her tracks. Edelgard.

There is no pause at the sight of Edelgard's white hair, nor the grime and dried blood covering her. Just like before, Byleth closes the distance between them instantly, shoving Arundel aside and nearly running Edelgard over in her haste. Edelgard recoils a step before she recovers, and her arms come up to wrap around Byleth just as tightly.

They barely notice Arundel leaving the room, soaking in and distracted by each other's presence as they are, and Byleth can hardly care for the reason why he let them see each other again. Edelgard’s head barely moves from where it is pressed against Byleth’s neck when the sound of a door closing reaches them. 

When they finally separate, Byleth scans over Edelgard before asking, “Why did Arundel suddenly decide to let you go?”

Edelgard’s visage darkens before she says, “Because they got what they wanted. The Crest of Flames…”

“A crest?” Byleth still did not understand the importance of crests, but rather than stew in her confusion, she focuses on Edelgard in front of her. She watches Edelgard quietly for a moment before gingerly lifting a few strands of silvery hair between her fingers to admire them. “Your hair is beautiful, El.”

Edelgard pulls her hair away, gripping it harshly with her own hand. “No, it isn’t.” She looks up when Byleth takes a hold of her hand, and she is taken aback by how gentle Byleth’s gaze is.

“It is.”

* * *

A bath is drawn for Edelgard, and Byleth assures her that she will be waiting just outside the door before closing it behind her. Edelgard washes slowly, still coming to terms with being released from those shackles and the dungeons. She feels herself relaxing, leaning back against the edge of the tub as the blood and grime wash away. Gathering her hair in one hand, Edelgard glares down at it, the white strands a physical reminder of what they had done to her and her siblings. But then she remembers Byleth's tender expression, the first time Edelgard had ever seen it in such a way, and she lets the strands fall from her hand with a sigh.

Edelgard turns slightly, catching sight of herself in a mirror in the corner of her eye. The scars that crisscross over her skin startle her, and the feeling of a knife cutting into her forces itself to the forefront of her mind. She hastily finishes up washing, almost slipping as she rushes to climb out of the tub and dress. 

Byleth nearly falls over when Edelgard throws open the door, catching herself with her hand. “That was quick.” 

Edelgard does not respond or stop, walking past to her desk and grabbing the edge of it in a white-knucked grip. Eyes closed and head bowed, she does not notice Byleth approach until she hears her speak from directly behind.

Byleth rests her hand beside Edelgard's on the desk, close but not touching. She did not miss her reaction to being touched earlier. "El?"

Edelgard releases an unsteady exhale, her grip on the table loosening slightly. "I'm sorry. I just…I suddenly cannot stop thinking of them."

Byleth’s hand inches closer, and she curls her fingers around Edelgard’s when the other girl does not pull away. A light tug has Edelgard turning towards Byleth, who tells her that she should cry if she is sad, and Edelgard presses her forehead against Byleth's shoulder, but the tears do not come. Perhaps the part of her that could cry died in those dungeons alongside her siblings.

A knock on the door interrupts them, and Hubert stands in his usual straight and dignified posture when Edelgard opens the door and greets him, "Hubert."

“Lady Edelgard, it brings me great joy to see you alive," Hubert says before glancing at Byleth over Edelgard's shoulder. "And I suppose seeing you is...adequate, Byleth." He ignores Byleth's stare to return his full attention to Edelgard in front of him, and in an extremely out of character moment, steps forward to place his hand on Edelgard’s shoulder.

Edelgard reacts immediately, jerking away violently and backing into Byleth, whose arms come up around her to steady her. Edelgard grips them to gather herself, the familiar warmth grounding her, before she looks up at Hubert, who looks legitimately apologetic and regretful for once. “I apologize, Hubert, but I would prefer if you did not touch me.”

Hubert bows low at the waist before saying, “No, the fault is entirely mine. I was overcome and didn't consider the circumstances of what you have endured.”

Edelgard slowly releases Byleth, glancing down both sides of the hallway before beckoning Hubert inside. “Come in so that we may speak more freely.” She waits until he fully steps into the room before expressing her own gratitude at seeing him again. “It is good to see you as well, Hubert. Did my uncle inform you of my release?”

Understanding her desire to divert the topic from her reaction, he answers the question in stride. “Yes, a moment ago. I came as quickly as I could. However, I am unsure of if your father was informed. Perhaps an audience with him is prudent?"

Her father. He must have been heartbroken to know all of his children were suffering, and that he was helpless to save them. "Yes, please do so."

"It will be done. I'm sure once he discovers it is for you he will push to see you immediately." Hubert bows before saying, "I truly regret that I was unable to assist you once again. This is the second time I have completely and utterly failed you, Lady Edelgard." It was his duty to protect and serve Edelgard, but he had been entirely useless in the face of her uncle.

"Don't dwell on it, Hubert. We cannot change the past, so we must look into the future." Edelgard had never blamed either of them for failing to protect her. She knows that there was little they could have done against someone like her uncle.

"It is unfortunate, but there is little we can do at the moment regarding Arundel." Hubert has learned enough to know that Arundel and the people he works with have far greater power than they appeared to.

Edelgard nods her head, agreeing. “Yes, we must be cautious of how we tread around them. Not only does my uncle’s group clearly have reach, but their numbers are also unknown, and they do have a part to play in the plans I have as well.”

“Please do enlighten us, Lady Edelgard.”

Edelgard tells Byleth and Hubert her plans and ambitions to tear down the church for allowing the antiquated crest system to thrive and valuing crests so much that such meaningless sacrifice is created for the sake of one achieving power. She explains that she plans to take down the figurehead of the church, the Archbishop. If they cannot fully remove her, then at least strip her of her powers so that she can no longer influence Fodlan. The foundation that allowed for such a horrid system to thrive must be destroyed. They would unite Fodlan, and she would work to dismantle the crest system that had been perpetuated for so long, and create a new era in which people could rise and fall by their own merits, regardless of where they were born or who they were born to.

No matter how bloody her path must be, Edelgard resolves that she will follow it through. She is willing to play whatever part she must so that Fodlan could be free. Hero or villain, it did not matter. She realizes that it is hypocritical, but sacrifice will be necessary so that there will no longer be a need for sacrifice in the future. The rest of Fodlan would stand against the Empire if they were to declare war on the church, and that is when she would have need of her uncle and his allies.

Edelgard shares what her uncle and his shadowy group had been after, showing them the Crest of Flames that manifested, and also what he had told her after the crest had come to be. His true identity, secrets about the church and the Archbishop, and contradictions to many of the things they had been taught to be true. Edelgard admits that she is uncertain of how much merit her uncle’s words hold, but his story is the only other source they have to go on at the moment. 

Without prompting, Hubert offers to use his sources to dig for the truth, and says that they can begin mapping out details of Edelgard’s plan immediately. Byleth is silent throughout the exchange, staring at where the image of the crest had hovered over Edelgard’s hand even after it has dissipated. It is only after that she notices Edelgard did not speak of dealing with Arundel and his lot. “What about Arundel, El? Why aren’t we stopping your uncle?”

“You know that he is the last person I wish to work with, but I cannot do it without him, Byleth. They want to use me for their own goals and ambitions, and I will graciously return the favor.” Edelgard had more than enough time to think about how  _ they _ would fit into her plans. “We can deal with them after we handle the church.”

Hubert speaks up after a short moment of silence, “Lady Edelgard, may I have a word in private?”

Byleth eyes Hubert for a moment before turning to look at Edelgard, who nods. “I’ll get lunch ready,” she says as she slips out of the room.

Edelgard turns her attention to Hubert after the door shuts behind Byleth. “What is it?”

“Byleth is a liability right now, Lady Edelgard,” says Hubert without preamble.

“A liability?”

“She has no penchant for subterfuge, blunt and straightforward as she is, and this weakness of yours for her is too easy for your uncle to exploit. Will she even be able to hold back her contempt for Arundel, and not ruin our plans?”

“She will not act out of line if I ask it of her,” Edelgard argues. She cannot say she is surprised that Hubert is broaching the subject, but the abruptness of his statement still has her ill-prepared.

“You hold her in too high regard. I have seen your uncle speaking to her, and she had been working for him while you were captured and being held prisoner.”

“That does not mean she is loyal to him. Byleth does not care for what my uncle values, nor does she care for crests or the church.”

“And that is not something we can overlook either. Would someone who does not understand the crushing weight of the crest system or the corruption of the central church truly be able to say they stand with you?” Hubert questions. To him, that would be the most legitimate concern. What was a cause to one who did not believe in fighting for it?

“Hubert, if you are trying to make me question Byleth, you are doing a terrible job of it.” Edelgard’s ire at Hubert’s insinuations and a warning are clear in her voice. 

“Of course. I am only bringing forth possibilities that I hope you consider,” Hubert claims, but he still presses on, unrelenting even if the face of Edelgard’s annoyance. “That aside, your uncle is still the one paying her. I will give her the benefit of the doubt at your command, but we should still be cautious. She could be telling him everything you have told us at this very moment."

“She wouldn't. Byleth does not stay because of the gold my uncle hands her, and she ceased doing his bidding as soon as I was released." Byleth had told her many times before that the gold she was getting paid meant nothing.

"Only by circumstance,” Hubert points out. “The most likely scenario is that Arundel has stopped giving her targets for the time being."

"She was doing what she had to. I'm sure you understand that.”

“Yes, we were all doing what we had to, but as I have observed, you are too emotional when it comes to her, Lady Edelgard. She clouds your judgement. We are merely speaking of conjectures, and you have already been getting defensive for her. 

Edelgard could not deny that what Hubert says has truth to it. Byleth seemed uninterested in the significance of a crest being the reason why her uncle had taken her and her siblings, complimenting her hair instead. She had accounted the response to Byleth being her odd self, but Byleth being unconcerned about the very systems they will be trying to bring down did call into question how she would fit into Edelgard's grand scheme. There was no doubt that Byleth would be an incredible asset when it came to war. But Edelgard could not bear demeaning her to a mere tool.

"You are the embodiment of the future, Lady Edelgard. Is she truly worth your time when you know that you are destined for far greater things than a mercenary's daughter?"

"Hubert, that is enough. I will not tolerate anymore of your vitriol against Byleth." Edelgard's eyes flash dangerously, arm sweeping out to the side and her tone brooking no argument. Questioning Byleth was one thing, but implying that she is insignificant was something Edelgard would not permit. "She is far more than just 'a mercenary's daughter'. People should be valued past who they are born as or what they are born with."

Hubert bows slightly, backing off a little. “I apologize. I do not truly have a vendetta against her, but I merely wish for you to be absolutely sure of everything.”

Edelgard pinches the bridge of her nose, sighing and willing her irritation to bleed away. “No, I know you are only trying to help.”

“I will willingly play the villain to ensure that you are not plagued by doubts. This plan will be arduous and difficult to execute, but it must be done so perfectly.”

“Yes, I know. One misstep and it’s over.”

“Which is why we must try to minimize the potential possibilities. Fewer people means fewer mistakes. We must be meticulous in who we choose to trust.”

“It is not because of distrust that I send Byleth away. No, I know that there is no one I trust more than her. It is more so my own doubts of how much I wish to involve her," Edelgard admits. 

“I’m sure she would champion your cause if you asked her.” Despite his grievances, Hubert acknowledges that Byleth supports Edelgard just as much as he did, if not more, but he was not naive enough to believe that one could be useful just by offering loyalty.

“Yes, and that is why I hesitate. She would follow me without question solely because I asked." Edelgard breaks their shared gaze, looking to the side. "I want her by my side, but I also want her to decide for herself. I wish to hear her say it because I refuse to steal that choice from her.”

Hubert hums thoughtfully, hand to his chin. "For Byleth, actions speak louder than words. What if she never speaks it aloud? What would you do then?" He knows that Byleth would clueless without prompting or a shove in the right direction. It was highly likely that she would never say the words Edelgard wished to hear.

"Then I would accept it, and do what I must," Edelgard responds resolutely, but she appears to be pained at the thought of continuing on without Byleth.

"If that is how you wish to handle this, then I will follow your lead." It was not Hubert's place to question Edelgard's decisions, only to faithfully follow and do his utmost to support her in whatever capacity was required. He would gladly tread through the darkness for her sake.

They reconvene after lunch in a room Hubert had found hidden along one of the long hallways in the palace. Edelgard stops Byleth before she can follow them into the room. "We are going to be here for a while, Byleth. You're free to go and find something else to do in the meantime.”

"You don't need my help?"

“It’s just that I know you have no interest in politics or the unbecoming games we must now partake in."

"It's not that I'm uninterested, I just don't understand the intricacies of them, but I would be willing to learn for you." Byleth looks hopeful when she asks, “Can I at least come in and listen?”

Edelgard hesitates before stepping into the room and leaving the door open. “If you would like.”

Hubert looks up from the table as Byleth steps in, “What are you doing here?"

"I want to help," answers Byleth in her normal bland tone, face blank while meeting Hubert’s piercing stare.

"Anything you could offer to Lady Edelgard at the moment is inconsequential. She cannot afford any distractions."

"I won't distract her."

"Thinking that you are anything but a distraction for her shows how little you understand your position and the situation at hand. Lady Edelgard has no need of your talents currently."

Byleth turns away from Hubert to Edelgard, looking hopeful once again and paying no heed to Hubert’s words. It really only mattered to her whether or not Edelgard wanted her there. “Do you want me here, El? I don’t want to be a bother if you think I’ll get in the way.”

“Of course I do, but…” Edelgard pauses, searching for the right words, “perhaps for now it would be more efficient for just Hubert and me to lay out the plan. We can explain it to you at a later time once we have everything sorted out.” It breaks what little is left of Edelgard when Byleth’s face crumbles back into a blank mask.

“I believe it is clear that you are not needed at this moment in time,” Hubert tacks on. Unhelpfully, Edelgard thinks.

Byleth slowly nods before leaving quickly and quietly, and Edelgard continues to stare at the closed door after it closes. "That was excessively cruel, Hubert."

"The truth is often so, Lady Edelgard."

* * *

Byleth does not ask again. She continues to make Edelgard meals, but now just knocks and leaves the tray sitting in front of the door, disappearing around the corner before the locked door opens. Neither Edelgard or Hubert see hide nor hair of Byleth, but they know she is there, in the little things she leaves out for the both of them. Pastries and bergamot for Edelgard set out on a platter, and coffee for Hubert. Edelgard cannot help but feel remorseful, having denied and turned Byleth away, but she tries to convince herself that this was for the best.

A month passes in a similar manner, Byleth keeping to herself, and Edelgard and Hubert spending hours upon hours in the room. Nightmares plague Edelgard every night, she tosses and turns without rest, calling for her siblings, for her father, for Byleth. Her father was overjoyed to see her, but Edelgard had been cautious of speaking too much while his council was present. She can feel her uncle's presence looming on the side, crawling over her but she does her best to ignore it. She would have to avoid audiences with her father for the time being. Their watchful eyes were constantly present. Ionius had just begun asking where Byleth was when Prime Minister Aegir had decided to cut her audience short, saying that they had a scheduled meeting. They did not give her a choice to stay.

Each day Edelgard finds it harder and harder to concentrate whenever they are going over plans or finalizing decisions. It is not until she questions why she is denying herself the warmth she had craved at every single moment that a sudden and terrible need to see Byleth overwhelms her. 

Finding Byleth is easy, there are only two places Edelgard knows she would be if she were not waiting outside the locked room. The training hall or the kitchens. Edelgard finds her in the training hall today, in the midst of a match against one of the palace knights. There is a crowd gathered, and Edelgard squeezes her way through them in an attempt to get closer to the center, trying to peer through the throngs of people in front of her. She had clearly come at the tail end of the match as Byleth stood over her defeated opponent, and cheers were resounding through the crowd.

Byleth quickly departs after offering her hand and helping her sparring partner up, heading in the direction of her room, and Edelgard makes her way back out of the crowd to follow. The door is open a sliver when Edelgard arrives, and she knocks their special pattern so that Byleth knows it is her before slowly opening it. She finds Byleth sitting on her bed, fixing her pant leg.

Byleth looks up when she enters, but stays silent, blank gaze settling on Edelgard, who shuts the door completely behind her. The two of them stare at each until Edelgard cracks first, “How are you, Byleth?"

Byleth does not answer at first, and there is a lull until she finally mutters, "Okay." She does not say any more, eyes flicking away to the side.

“...I’m glad to hear that.” A tense silence fills the air until a sheet of paper on Byleth's desk catches Edelgard's attention. "What is this?" Crossing the room and picking it up, she sees a name and descriptions explaining who they were, "Is this from my uncle?"

"Yes. A target."

"I see." So Hubert was wrong and her uncle had continued to give Byleth targets. Edelgard hesitates before asking, "Were you planning on completing the task?"

"No. He works for Hubert."  _ So I won't because they're useful to you _ , goes unsaid. Byleth moves to stand, but teeters, catching herself on her nightstand.

Edelgard is immediately at her side, "Are you alright?” When Byleth stays silent, Edelgard quickly kneels down to lift her left pant leg. She remembers seeing Byleth fixing it when she had come in. Byleth tries to jerk away, but Edelgard holds her in place and catches sight of bandages wrapped around her knee and upper calf. "Why didn't you tell me you were hurt, Byleth?"

"Didn't want to be a bother." Byleth refuses to meet Edelgard’s gaze now, looking off to the side.

"You're not a--. Why would you think that?” Realization strikes Edelgard, and she scolds herself for being so careless with her words. She knew Byleth took things quite literally, and speaking ambiguously was just asking for misinterpretation. “I didn’t mean...you're not a bother,” Edelgard reaffirms. “What happened, Byleth? Tell me, please.”

“It’s fine, Edelgard.” Byleth sits back heavily on her bed before laying down and turning onto her side, facing away from Edelgard. “Sorry, I’m tired. I’ll bring you food later.”

_ Edelgard. _ How long has it been since Byleth called her that? Edelgard reaches out to touch Byleth’s back, wanting nothing more than to apologize, but draws back just before her hand makes contact. She stands instead, hand clenching against her chest, and turns to leave the room. When the door shuts behind her she thinks that--lies to herself that--perhaps this was for the best.


End file.
